Moroso 74104 Battery Disconnect Switch

I install this item on part time residents golf cart when they leave for the summer, It's a very simple effecient way to stop the batteries from discharging.

Even though this a side mounted switch, I bought this since the blade switch did not fit. Works like a charm. Simple in design but effective.

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Optima 8003-151-FFP RedTop Group 34 Starting Battery

Order carefully and verify the part number you need by visiting the Optima website. This battery can not be returned. What we have here is an Optima 8003-151, Model 34R. Amazon also sells the 8002-002, Model 34 which is a mirror image of the 34R, the POS and NEG terminals are reversed. The battery arrived fully charged and in perfect condition.

Last month the description was correct " Optima Batteries 8003-151 34R RedTop Starting Battery". The current description is misleading.

Also the first two images are of a model 34 reversed. Hence "Optima" is backward but is does accurately represent the location of the POS and NEG terminals on a 34R.

I tried an Optima Red Top with high hopes of getting at least 5-6 years out of it.

Well, try 3 1/2 years and no pro-rated warranty.

No extra battery load, just standard equipment.

Was maintained with a trickle charge as they recommend on their web site.

The batteries futuristically good looks are misleading; as the overall performance

was surprisingly a disappointment.

Perhaps the technologies will improve in the future, but for now...

you won't get what you pay for with Optima.. :(

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I just replaced my Optima battery after almost 9 years of trouble free service on my 1964 Ranchero. Standard automotive batteries only last around 2 years here in Arizona because of our up to 120 deg heat. The heat just plain kills batteries, even service free ones, because the water boils out and the batteries die. The sealed jell style batteries are awsome. The initial price is high but in the long run the they are worth it. Amazon had the best price anywhere and with free shipping you just can't beat the deal. Jim in Bullhead City, Az

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I just had my 2nd Optima Red fail within a year. It has no reserve capacity left if I leave my interior lights on for just a few hours (about 1 amp draw) the battery will no longer start the engine and has dropped to 10.5 volts. (I have volt meter on the battery and an amp meter on the non-starter circuits.)

Granted I know what ruined it just once last year I left the headlights on for a few hours. I would expect such a mistake to reduce the reserve capacity by 20%, but this deep discharge reduced the Optima by 90%, basically ruining it.

Sure, I can return it for a warranty replacement, but this time I bought a Diehard AGM and will sell the replacement Optima on Craigslist.

When you consider how many they sell (not a lot like Diehard or Interstate) and how much they pay for advertising, you have to deduce

that these are cheap internals with a lot of markup to pay for the advertising.

Also, warranty wise, I have to return it to the original seller; you cannot take it to any old Optima seller.

In short, if you have $150 to experiment on a cool looking battery, give it a try. If not, stay with a proven brand.

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Got this to work for my 2006 mini cooper s convertible (needed slight mod). Decided to get the battery from amazon anyway after reading all the reviews about warranty not being honored. I had previously bought two other optimas from amazon and both are still going strong with one over three years already so I took the chance. This time amazon came through again. Battery was packaged well, in mint condition and fully charged out of the box! Price was right! I Could not be more happy with this battery.

Instapark® Mars20S Portable & Rechargeable Emergency / Survival Solar Power Generator with Built-i

I purchased this primarily to power a small 12 volt cooler, And I wasn't to sure exactly what to expect quality wise. It is very solidly constructed, and feels like it could take a descent amount of abuse. And it performed pretty closely to how they described it. It ran the little cooler for a little over an hour. It also ran a 6 inch fan for about five hours and charged my cell phone an iPod touch form almost dead on one charge. The two negative things I can say about it is 1) I can't seem to get it to charge to 100% (only 97%), and 2) there is no compartment to store the chargers. Otherwise, it's pretty useful and very well constructed.

I'm using this unit as the core power supply for a portable sound system. The build quality is excellent, and it easily sustains 1-2 amps of 12V power all day and night. The multitude of power input and output connections are very convenient, and I honestly feel more comfortable living in an earthquake zone knowing I have this self-contained unit sitting alongside the distilled water and snack bars in case of infrastructure failure.

My only complaint is the apparent amperage regulation on the 12V outputs. For my sound system application I'm using a low-wattage amp that peaks at ~3 amps of draw, and yet still browns out on loud music segments. This won't be an issue for normal charging or emergency use, but if you're looking for an outdoor entertainment, ham radio, or other occasionally high-amp drawing application, consider using a separate solar panel and deep-cycle battery.

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Thus far I have just observed the charging. Unit was delivered at 69% and on Monday (5/27/2013) I was able to complete the charge (display reads 100%) solely by direct sun in Ridge, New York in about 3 hours given the clear sunny day of a southern exposure. In Brooklyn, I seemed to get 1% in 6 minutes. More to come including video. My hope is that these can have applications for electric cars like Tesla.

*********UPDATE (6/1/2013) VIDEO UPLOAD

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Auto Automobile Car Emergency Tool Kit Jumper Cables

This is a very basic auto kit. Tools are good and the case is great but the jumper cables are very short and flimsy. I would not recommend this kit.

Very basic, Tools are OK quality. But jumper cable is really bad. It did not work after i have used it for a couple of times. I suspect the wire on the inside broke.

Do not buy it.. you need things to work best when you need them most and its not an option to have an OK "Emergency kit"!

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The tool set is VERY basic. We've used it a couple of times and we've been glad to have it, but also frustrated with the quality of products inside. The jumper cables are small maybe 14 gauge so they barely pass any current and it takes FOREVER to jump a car. If you're trying to jump a large SUV or truck, forget about it! Other tools are basic and made of mostly plastic. No wrench for the socket set makes it fairly useless. I would NOT recommend this kit; spend the money on a better option.

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Every car should have one of these in their trunk... They are handy for several jobs. We have 4 cars in our family and each one as one of these kits in their car.

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So this is a very basic tool kit for your car. It will do the trick in a pinch, but I'd probably spend a little more and buy something better. My main complaints are that the jumper cables are too small, both in gauge and length. Also, the case is kind of pain. I don't like the snap-in kits because they're fitted for specific tools. Thus, if you want to add to the kit there's no place for it. I definitely prefer the bags. Regardless, I got it as a gift and it's OK, but I'll get something a little better when it's time to replace this one.

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PowerFilm R-28 28w Rollable Solar Panel Charger

This unique, light-weight, easy to store charger is used to charge our computers, cell phones, ipods, etc., that can be plugged in the to solar panel charger via an adapter. We just drape it over the car, picnic table, or lay it on the ground with our electronics in the shade while it charges. However, one cannot use the computer and charge it at the same time. It is strong enough to charge a boat battery, its original purpose. I liked it so well, I purchased another one from Amazon at a definite savings. [Wish I had bought my first one here!]

I have bought two of these already and am in the process of ordering a third .i have used it only once in late day january sun on flat ground in northern california it worked great. i am building a portable power grid for laptops etc. it can also charge car batteries. these rolls are light weight and weather proof as opposed to weather resistant which the foldable powerfilm product line claims. not sure how big a difference there is but weather proof sounds better. be sure to get an "RA-6 Daisy Chain Accessory" by power film it turns two panels into one.

also this is a good charge controller "HQRP Solar Power Controller 10Amp 150W with Digital LED Display"

i got it here on amazon

and to top it off i got an:

PST-YD100W 100 Watts Adjustable Output DC/DC Converter from powerstream. ps, i had to upgrade the 16v capacitors to 35v and 50v because the 16 volt capacitors blew.

Input 9-15 VDC Also AC 110-240VAC for home or car 4 to 5.5 amps

output 12V, 15V, 16V, 18V, 19V, 20V, 22V, 24V single output, user adjustable Also 5V1A USB

this is a beauty it comes with ac and dc plugs numerous barrel adapters for laptops

Price $39.50

then i added this "Energizer XP18000 Universal AC Adapter with External Battery for Laptops, Netbooks, and More "

it must have 19v at 3.42 amps to charge so i am getting a third panel and a second daisy chain to make it work.

3 rollable 28 watt panels will put out 15.4 volts at 5.4 amps or 84 watts under best conditions

it boils down to a portable power grid a backpacker could take for around 8 lbs which i find acceptable if your laptop etc isnt too heavy.

ps the fact that many of these are sold on amazon with no negative reviews speaks strongly in favor of this product

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This is a nifty little item, and we purchased one to use when we're out at the sports field with my kids.

One of these unrolled on the top of a collapsable shade canopy (oriented southward), and it gives us the ability to power 2-3 small 12V fans. It keeps the air moving, and everybody cooled/shaded/happy. You can even charge up your cell phone (the larger panel puts out almost 2A of current at 15VDC.

Roll it up after the game, and put it back in the box for the next weekend.

Recommended.

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I had a good impression about PowerFilm Co , I was looking for a high quality portable solar panel to charge my battery bank and as an emergency charger for my car . I got PowerFilm R-28 28w Rollable Solar Panel Charger and i was very impressed . I hang it on a ladder and connect it to my ( Mediabridge High Output Dual USB Car Charger ) and connected my battery bank ( Anker Astro E4 13000mAh ) which has about 60 %, i was fully charged in 3 hours in a sunny day , you may check my first video http://youtu.be/MUqw-7HeV-w .

Pros:

1very light

2a lot of juice comparing to the weight.

3easy to use

Cons :

too long ( 2 M ) sometimes very hard to mount on windy day.

I would definitely recommend it.

I'm planning to find a way to mount multiple powerfilm rollable panels on my car roof rack which will be used to charge my secondary battery later.

I will update you with more videos.

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Genuine HTC Verizon Thunderbolt Window & Dash Vehicle / Car Mount Dock

Though this dock is extremely well built and sturdy it's still not as well done as the original Droid dock. It takes two hands to get the phone to snap into this contraption, and THREE to get it out. It snaps into place then there is a locking mechanism for added sturdiness. That said, once your phone is in the only way it's coming out is with extreme force. Comparatively speaking, the OG Droid dock was very simple but very effective. I could get in the car and just snap the phone right into place with one hand. Same for removal. (minus one star)

The one upside to this dock is that it has the built in charger port. Once you plug your cord into the back of the dock you don't have to worry about fumbling around trying to plug it in while you're driving. Downside to this is as mentioned above, it takes some force to get the phone to snap into place and I think over time this is going to shorten the life of the phones charging port itself. (minus another star)

As far as what the phone does once plugged in, pretty much the typical car home-screen. Options for phone, nav, maps, etc.. If I could take another star away for not being able to change any of the car-home icons I would, but since I'm only reviewing the dock I wont. You can exit the car mode while docked but once you exit you have to remove the phone and put it back in dock to get back to car-home. I blame HTC for that blunder and hopefully they will fix that with the next software upgrade.

All in all this dock is good, but with all downsides I can only hope a third-party comes out with a better one. Until then I will just have to put up with a three star device.

***Just in case anyone was wondering, you have to remove any case or skin in order to dock the phone***

I bought this the day the phone came out and have been using it religiously ever since.

I don't know why the previous reviews have been (what seems to me) overly critical of this item, but rather than focus on that, I will tell you my likes and dislikes of the dock.

Pros:

-Suction cup works very well, never falls off.

-Fully adjustable mount, allowing a ton of viewing angles, landscape and portrait modes.

-Plug charger into the base clip, not the phone. (No need to unplug charger from phone.)

-Headphones/Stereo cable has clips. If you plug your phone into your car stereo or a wired headset, you can clip the wire in the back of the base so you don't have to find the wire every time.

-Your phone isn't going anywhere! As previous posters have stated, the phone is quite difficult to get out of the mount. I find this a positive as I don't want my phone flying out if (knock on wood) I were to get into an accident and possibly injuring me or passengers. The phone is really easy to get in the dock and has a "locking" clip to secure the phone on all 4 edges.

-Compatible with DailyRoads Voyager app. This app records video/pictures and/or audio while you are driving. (Helpful if you are in an accident or given a ticket that you didn't deserve.) I've found that the Video/Picture works best when the dock is dash-mounted and in portrait mode.

Cons:

-Stock Car Dock app is very basic/bland. This really isn't a Car Dock issue as much as it is a HTC issue. I don't have a Stock phone (rooted) and I use a nice little app called Car Home that negates this Con.

-It is a bit tough coming out of the dock. The best solution to this that I have found is to put the phone into lock/sleep, then use both hands to get it out (one holds the base, the other grabs and pulls the phone out). I've gotten used to it so this isn't nearly as big of a deal as I first thought. This is the only reason why I took a star off the rating.

All-in-all, I have to say this is a great accessory to have, and it is cheap as well. I remember paying twice the amount for my Droid X Car Dock. HTC also has to resolve the fact that when you plug something into the headphone jack that it mutes the phone's microphones (so if your cable has no mic on it, you can't talk to someone on the phone), but that is not an issue with the car dock offered here, that is another knock against the phone.

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Feels cheaply made, and Thunderbolt will not fit into dock with any sort of case on. That's huge I think because most people have cases on their phones (I have a Seido hard case that works great, but is a pain to take on or off) I use the Ardon Generic Car Dock and it works great, but also a little cheap as well.

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I just wanted to write this review as a warning to perspective buyers that this does not work if you have the extended battery. I'm sure it's a great mount, but I was never able to use it for this reason.

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This is a good mount for the Verizon HTC Thunderbolt. The only negative I give it is that it only fits with the standard battery with no case. Even the desktop cradle fits the extended battery. Mounts very well to the windshield and has not fallen, even in the Texas heat.

DEI 010480 Cell Saver - Battery Insulation Kit

My original battery wrap insulation was looking pretty sad when I replaced my car battery (size Group 58) recently, so I got this one. Pretty easy to install just trim the wrap to the height of the battery (I overlapped the excess going around the battery) and use the supplied tape to secure the wrap. Tip don't make it too snug that way you can slip it off when you need to service or remove the battery. Has a insulation pad that fits underneath the battery. Can make for a snug fit for the hold-down clamp when you first put it back in, but all fits OK.

The battery insulation kit has worked well, my battery is in back by the firewall a very hot area, also by exhaust manifold. Idiot design that kills batteries from Ford. The material keeps battery much cooler which will extend its life. Heat is the killer of batteries.

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I got this to wrap my XS Power D3400 under my hood and worked great and It's big enough to do even bigger batteries. I like the pad that it came with for the bottom too,it would be nice if it came with a little more tape than what it did.

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Yamaha 13-Inch ATV Remote Control

I knew that this was the right toy for my grandkids when they ran it down a full flight of stairs on its maiden voyage---it survived with flying colors! This thing is indestructible, and has survived dozens and dozens of crashes and still runs perfectly!

Don't expect things like incremental steering and variable throttle for 20 dollars. The throttle is essentially an on/off switch, so one must "bump" the throttle to control the speed in forward and reverse. Same with the steering: it's either full left or full right, with a detent to keep it going straight. The details and scale of the toy is quite remarkable. The driver is easily removed from the ATV and can be dressed in 1:6 doll clothes if you desire. The 4 AAA batteries last for quite some time. I also appreciate the fact that the 4 rubber tires hit the furniture before the body parts, saving both the ATV and the furniture from damage.

I can't believe the two other reviewers: One complains that it's too slow, and the other that they paid too much! (As if the latter has anything to do with quality.) This toy is 20 bucks at Wal-Mart; did you expect a high-end gas-powered RC car?

All in all, this is an excellent choice for a child's RC car: durable, reliable, sturdy, and attractive.

We got this for my 4-year-old for Christmas and so far its been great. Its not too fast for him and not to slow. The plastic piece that holds the antenna did break off at the fender, but we just bent it forward under the handlebar on one side and it still gets a great signal. Have not tried it outside yet, but it works great in the house and the r/c control is just the right size for his little hands.

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i bought 2 of these. they are so weak they can't climb a 1 degree incline. they barely go at all. they are a joke. what a waste of money!

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GPS Portable Travel USB Plug-in Rapid 12 Volt Car Charger

After breaking the power cord for my Magellan GPS, I looked around for a replacement. Magellan was ready to sell me a new one for $25. Same price for a generic one from an electronics store. Then I found another one here at Amazon for $12. And, finally, I came across this one for less than a dollar. The price disparity was so great that I was inclined to be suspicious of its quality, but for less than a dollar I was willing to risk it. It works just fine. As noted by another reviewer, the cord is just a little on the short side, but I have found it long enough to reach over the steering wheel from the cigarette lighter to the lower left corner of the windshield in my 2003 Toyota Rav-4. I've only needed to use it a single time since the purchase but so far, so good.

Original car charger was destroyed. Tried numerous usb adapters and chargers, all would power the unit but would not charge the internal battery. This charger/adapter did the trick. Although it doesn't have the feel of quality as the original (cord isn't rubberized or as long as the original) it is definitely worth the price. A+

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This device works like it is designed to, however the cord is the coiled type, and seems a little short. If you are needing to span a fairly long distance from the GPS unit to the cigarette lighter plug, then you may consider a non-coiled design.

I have a Jeep Cherokee, and the GPS is mounted on the front windshield. Not a great distance to the lighter socket, but it is a bit of a stretch with this coiled cable.

Otherwise this one works well, with a good solid connection on both ends, and an indicator (red) LED light tells you the plug is operating.

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We had left the original in a rental car and bought this as a replacement....it was actually a better cord than the original because the new cord coiled so there was not so much excess cord and it wasn't so stiff. Very happy, thanks.

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I've used it quite a few times over the past month and a half and have no complaints. At about $20 cheaper than the Magellan replacement charger I am very happy with this purchase.

PowerStation PS5000R Jump Start with LED Work Light and Compressor

I bought two of these units. One for each of my sons. Both drive used cars with aged batteries. Within 48 hours of receiving the power station one of my sons car would not start. His battery was to weak on a cold Michigan night. This little powerhouse started his car right up. Great practical equipment.

Bought two, thought it would be a useful, well engineered unit. Sadly, it would never hold a charge, even after charging for days uninterrupted as instructions state. If the battery in it had not been "bad" it would really be a great device. Have other Power Station jump starter "power units" and they're great. Too bad this one didn't work out.

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Unit failed out-of-the-box: Several inserts in the box state that unit must be charged for 72 hours before using. Pushed battery test button, meter read Full Charge suggesting a good unit. As directed we immediately attached AC power cord to unit/wall outlet and charged unit for 72 hours plus. Green LED indicator was on indicating a "full Charg". Disconnected AC, Battery Test Meter indicated Full Charge. Stored unit in vehicle, one day later, by chance, pushed Battery Test Button and meter read "0". Battery in static condition would not hold charge. Returned to Amazon for credit.

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STINGER SCBM150 150 Amp Marine Circuit Breaker

• Weatherproof
• Marine-certified ignition protection
• Ideal for harsh marine environment
• 150 Amp

Tired of fuses? Want to be able to disconnect your battery from your aftermarket car stereo system without having to unscrew the terminals and manually disconnect it? This is the product for you.

I got sick of manually disconnecting the battery terminal when I needed to install new components or do engine work. Disconnecting the power with this thing is easy. Just connect it in line between your battery and your components. Then just flip the switch when you want to kill the power. Alternatively, you could connect the thing between your negative battery terminal and the chassis ground wire. Current flows in a circle so it serves the same purpose either way. (Breaking the circuit when there is a short.)

This 150 Amp circuit breaker will handle stereo systems up to about 1800 Watts at 12 Volts before it trips. This is a great product for car audio enthusiasts. It'll eliminate the need for a big main fuse near the battery.

You'll still want some smaller fuses connected at each amplifier, however. Great product, highly recommended.

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I am using this in a solar setup. I have copper bars that serve to join my batteries to a common point then feed lines to the inverter and have this in line from the positive copper bar to the inverter. I has and is working as expected. A little pricier than some but I want it to work and therefore bought it and would again. It has not let me down.

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Mounting is a snap. Breaker switch is ignition proof and waterproof. Switch has positive throw either way on or off. Lugs come with stainless steel split washer and nut. Used for safety purposes in the bilge versus ANL fuse type, for inverter circuit. 150 amp rated.

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THis is my second one of these I've installed in my car to create a fuseable link between the battery and my accessories. It's been effective thus far for shutting down power when needed.

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i recieved the 150a marine circuit breaker . quickly. however , as not being an installer of such parts i was left with little info as to the installing of the equipment. as most know it only takes 15-20 amps to kill a human,so i was a lil hesitant to start tinkering with a 150 a circuit breaker. I also realized after placing the order,that i would need a sufficient wire gauge upgrade. anything more than 115a needs 2 gauge wire, and i had 4 gauge. so i feared an electric fire or worse had i actually used the item. I sent the item back,and was greeted with a return email,and postage,and prompt refund. i then ordered the right product which was a 2 gauge amp kit with a 150a inline fuse .

Detailer's Choice 4B325 Tire and Battery Brush

I bought this wire brush to clean the battery contacts. It's sturgy and has a long handle.

The only drawback is its rather bulky width, which precludes getting in some hard-to-reach areas.

Schumacher SSC-1500A Ship 'n Shore SpeedCharge Charger with included battery clamps

As others have noted, the percent-charged reading can be grossly misleading. My experience is that when it shows 100%, you can expect to continue charging for another couple of hours before reaching full charge. Other than that, this charger works well. The biggest consideration with this product, however, is life expectancy. While this charger comes with a five year warranty, you are unlikely to get anywhere near that before it dies. This has been my experience with several Schumacher battery chargers. Unfortunately, there is almost nothing in the way of comparable items by other makers to choose from.

As my title states, this charger handles all four main types of large batteries: Lead Acid Auto Starter batteries, Deep Cycle Marine, AGM and Gel Cell. You select battery type and size and it takes care of the rest. When you first hook up the clips to the battery and plug in the charger, selecting battery type, it tests the battery and gives you the volts available as well as the percentage that battery is currently charged! Many times I've wanted to know that. You then select battery size and it starts charging. If you select 15 or 10 amps, when the battery is fully charged it goes into a maintenance mode automatically! You can leave the charger running forever and it won't over charge the battery. Also if your battery is damaged by sulfide build up, it detects that and runs a cycle to clean the battery and give it life again if it can. Wow. I wonder how many batteries I've replaced that could have been revived or kept alive by this charger?! This is going to save me a lot of money.

I purchased a new 850 cc amp deep cycle battery to use as an emergency power source for my amateur radio equipment (I'm a net control storm spotter for the National Weather Service Skywarn network). This brand new battery tested at 95% charged so I fully charged it (while using the radio) and it worked fine. Charged up to 100% and went into maintenance mode automatically. Took the charger to the farm and connected it to a dead tractor battery. Showed 11% charged and began building the charge immediately. Was up to 15% in about 7 minutes when I had to leave. I'll have to update this review later to let you know if it was able to salvage that poor battery.

I know of no other chargers that test the battery, charge all types of batteries and can safely be left on to maintain them as well. Go check out the cost of Gel Cell battery chargers and you'll find this is a deal.

BTW, if you forget to turn it from 'test' to 'charge', after 10 minutes or so this charger will automatically charge up the battery and keep it maintained for you! How easy is that?

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I bought this charger to replace a 15yr. old manual charger that finally gave up the ghost. All I can say is that chargers have come a long way over the last decade and a half. This charger was about 1/3 the price of the one it replaced. It's easy to use and does a great job. I would prefer metal construction rather than the plastic, but given the price, that's a minor complaint. The fan is a bit loud, but I don't sleep in my garage so I don't see that as an issue either.

I've used this charger several times. Most recently to revive the battery in my wife's mini van. It was drained to less than 6v when my kids left the interior lights on. In the past, this would have been a death sentence for the battery, but the SSC-1500A was able to recharge it without any problems. It's been over 2 months and her car starts just fine. Considering it's winter in Alaska, that's no small feet for a battery that was drained as far as her's was.

The SSC-1500A was also able to breathe new life into a portable jump start battery that had recently started refusing to accept more than a 50% charge with it's included wall wart. I hooked the SSC-1500A's clamps to the portable batteries clamps, started the charge and left it overnight. The next morning the portable battery was back to full capacity.

I'll say it again, great charger for the price.

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So I purchased a Optima battery and I wanted a AGM compatible charger, so I purchased this. It did charge up a brand new Optima cell on the AGM mode, but here's the bad before the good, because there is simply more of it.

CONS: It does not shut off after charging. After fully charging a BRAND NEW Optima battery on the 10 amp AGM setting my 120 volt watt meter (kill-a-watt) indicated this thing was still drawing 77 watts after the 100% full and green charge light lit up.

I thought it may be a glitch so I reset everything, drained the Optima to 90% capacity and set the charger to the lowest 2 amp trickle charger mode( it says trickle right on the control panel of the machine). The watt meter indicated that the charger was consuming 60 watts! I consulted the instruction manual where it reiterates that the 2 amp mode is for maintenance and small motorcycle batteries so I shrugged it off as a inefficient charger and I come back 8 hours later to see that it had finished at 100% and that the charger was still dumping in 60 watts into the battery. I felt the battery and it was HOT!!! The whole 800 CCA Optima battery is at about 110 degrees Fahrenheit and is probably now ruined! I am not too happy with the charger so I placed a order for a Battery MINDer charger.

Now for the PROS:

It did charge the batteries, including a few small lawn tractor batteries that I had written off as heavily sulfated and they would not take a charge. My computerized battery tester indicated full capacity after charging and 24 hours later still indicated full charge showing very good results.

Summary:

While I wanted a "hands off" unattended charger that would not overcharge my batteries, I did not achieve that with this, but this still does charge better than my last Schumacher and it weights less than 5 pounds :o)

Want Schumacher SSC-1500A Ship 'n Shore SpeedCharge Charger with included battery clamps Discount?

I have a classic car and do not have electricity (or solar) access where it is stored. I've been using this charger with it for two years now off and on. I would not call myself a battery expert by any means, but I thought it might be helpful to others to share my experiences.

If you have a new battery on a late model car, this is a great charger to have handy in case you run it down (leave the headlights on, whatever). This is probably it's main area of usefulness. It's once you cross the threshold to weak or discharged batteries, or batteries left in old cars, that this unit starts to fall down on the job.

First the pros:

-Fully charges a discharged battery reasonably quickly

-Choose between different amp ratings for recharging, permits you to "trickle charge" or max it out at 15 amps

-Light weight, small size means it'll fit in the trunk quite nicely

-Cable storage built into the box

-Has some rudimentary testing capabilities and can display limited information on the LCD display about battery condition

-Estimates the percentage charged

-Both recharges and maintains batteries once charged

Then the cons:

-Battery testing features are not reliable/accurate. I've had this tester report that a battery was bad when it wasn't and, at other times, report that it was fine when a whole cell was dead. Both cases were tested on a much fancier (think >$1k) battery tester and cycler. I was charging the batteries up just to see if I could get the old car out and going after a 3 month rest.

-Very particular about battery connections. If the readout suggests a battery fault, don't trust it. Disconnect and reconnect the cables to the battery to make sure they're seated properly and try again. The alligator clamps can be clipped on to what appears to be the exact same location but give two different readings back to back.

-Yes, alligator clips. That's all you get. There are no other included connectors, and you can't swap them out for your own. Same for the power cord. What this means is that you'll need an extension cord as well, which is not a big deal, but be aware of this going in.

-Charge percentage readout is deceiving. Don't rely on it at all. It will read out 100% charged, but if you disconnect and reconnect the cables to the same battery, within seconds (to move the charger or cables), the charge percentage can drop as low as 45%. If it were 100% down to 95% or so, that would be perhaps within the range of expectation, but not over a 50% drop. This is particularly difficult to believe when the unit then proceeds to charge on up from that low percentage for another hour or so, steadily climbing towards 100% again.

I think for the money, it's a decent charger. Certainly a step up from the old school transformer ones. However, it smacks of cheapness, which fits, considering it's the model sold in WalMart. It serves well as an occasional rescue charger.

My recommendation for anyone serious about battery maintenance and recharging, step it up a notch and look elsewhere. Granite Digital has some nice units suitable for the garage.

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